A Dark Secret
by DancingHippo
Summary: They've never met before; he is attracted to her like a moth to a flame the second his eyes land on her but she doesn't like him from the start… What will she do when she begins to see who he really is? Or is it what? AU
1. Hometown Glory

A Dark Secret

Chapter One: Hometown Glory

Pairing: Caroline Forbes and Tyler Lockwood

They've never met before; he is attracted to her like a moth to a flame the second his eyes lands on her but she doesn't like him from the start… What will she do when she begins to see who he really is? Or is it what? AU

Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries (obviously) nor its characters.

* * *

Today was one of the days he fucking hated this bloody town more than ever. He should have left long ago but when he'd graduated from college, he came back here. Here in Mystic Falls, small town of Virginia. Sometimes he was thinking about leaving right the moment the thought came to his head but yet he hadn't. He didn't know why or what, but something held him back here. His mother took his father's place as the Mayor when he died, several years ago from a heart attack. She had no one left but him, and he couldn't leave her alone. But today was a totally different story, today he definitely wanted to leave – no, _flee_ would be a more appropriate word than leave – and hide from _them_. They'd called again this morning and although he'd already told them he wasn't interested in joining their pack, they still insisted. Freaks. His patience was wearing off now, he knew that eventually they would come here and try to convince him, and he didn't know what to do about it. Run or stay? His worries followed him to the Grill, where his friends were waiting for him.

Tonight was a typical Friday night at the Grill and the room was packed. He was meeting with some of his old jock friends from high school to shoot pool. They had made it a tradition when they still were in high school. He was waiting for his turn when he first saw her. He hadn't ever seen here, so he guessed she was new in town. She was beautiful. She had curly blonde hair and delicate features, but he was too far away to tell what color her eyes were. She was hypnotizing him, he couldn't take his eyes off of her, he was attracted to her like a magnet. His eyes followed to the bar where she sat on one of the high stools and ordered herself a drink. He couldn't describe what was happening. It felt like his body was craving for her just like someone was craving for water after hours of walking in the scorching heat of the desert.

"Who is she?" he asked one of his best friends, Sam, who was also right next to him. He was still staring at her.

"Who are you talking about? There are many women here." he laughed.

"The blonde who's at the bar right now." he rolled his eyes, anxiously waiting for Sam to reply. Was he blind? She absolutely surpassed every other woman in this room.

"Oh, that one. Well, you're not going to believe it, but she's Sheriff Forbes' daughter. Her name's Caroline I think… Yeah, Caroline Forbes." he whispered to Tyler, who almost choke on his drink.

"What? Sheriff Forbes? Our Liz Forbes? I thought she had no children? And why is she only coming now? The funeral was like, two months ago!" he said, his eyes wide with surprise.

"She and her mother didn't get along well. From what I understand from my father, they had trouble finding her. When she went away, she left no cell number or address for that matter. It was like she wanted to be wiped off the face of the earth. She only left a letter saying she was leaving and she doesn't want to be found. I think she told her mother to 'fuck off' and that she has 'no mother'. Not very nice if you ask me, that was mean." he shook his head. Sam's father was one of the best lawyers in town, no wonder he knew so much.

"Maybe she's mean but that doesn't change the fact that she's still hot." he said, the wheels already turning in his head. He needed to talk to her. Maybe only then he would understand what was happening to him.

"Oh no, I know that look, what are you up to?" Sam asked, frowning.

"Nothing." Tyler replied nonchalantly, getting up.

"Then, where are you going?" Sam asked suspiciously.

"I'm going to buy me a drink."

"Yeah, I'm sure! Hey, be nice to her!" Sam called after Tyler, who merely waved his arm at him.

He was getting more and more nervous as the distance between him and her narrowed. His palms were sweaty. _Get a grip over yourself_, he mentally slapped himself, _you look like a ten year old boy who declares his flame to his first crush_. As he neared the bar, he took a final deep breath and sat down next to her.

"Hi, I'm Tyler." he said, plastering his most charming smile on his face. She didn't even look at him nor respond to his greeting. From what he just gathered from Sam, she was not the kind type, but that didn't discourage him yet, so he continued.

"If I'm not mistaken you're new around here… because I never saw you." he said.

"So? I'm sure that won't stop you from living, _Tyler_." she said, snorting his name and still not looking at him.

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" he pressed her on.

"Which I'm sure you already know. And no, you can't buy me a drink, so you can go now. Chop chop!" she said, finally looking at him. He was slightly stunned when her light blue eyes met his chocolate brown ones. She was glaring at him. _If looks could kill_, he thought, _I'd be lying dead on the floor right now_.

"I was actually being polite and trying to engage a civil conversation between two grown-ups-" he began but she cut him off, her rage welling up.

"Right, I got the picture here. I know how jerks like you think and function. That conversation was going to end up in bed. But that's only happening in your mind and this is reality. And if I wasn't already clear enough before, I'll repeat myself in a language I'm sure you might understand: _fuck off_." she said coldly.

This was the first time a girl blew him off like she did. Ok, maybe it had been a long time since he last dated someone, but he never recalled being rejected like that by a girl. He was sure he was gaping at her in sheer disbelief right this moment.

"Is it clear now?" she asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Crystal." he cleared his throat.

"Good. And this would be my cue to leave." she said while slamming a bill on the counter and hastily putting her coat on. When she was ready to leave, she looked at him and said, "It was _not_ a pleasure. At _all_." She didn't wait for his reply and headed towards the exit, not looking back. He watched her leave and didn't notice Sam approaching him. Sam sat in the now vacant seat next to Tyler and was trying hard to hold his laughter back.

"Don't say anything." Tyler snapped at him. And this was all it took for Sam to burst out in laughter.

"I'm sorry man, but I told you to be _nice_ to her. Apparently that word isn't in your vocabulary. Oh wow, she totally blew you off. I'm impressed!" he said.

"Just shut the hell up, I don't need your bad sense of humor now." Tyler said curtly before downing the drink he just ordered in one large gulp. The alcohol burned his throat on its way down.

"Maybe I'll have a chance now that you blew off yours." Sam replied, still smiling. But his smile vanished when Tyler grabbed him by the collar.

"Don't even think about it, she's _mine_!" he said menacingly.

"Chill man, I was just kidding. What's wrong with you these days? Sometimes you act like my sister when she's PMSing, you're totally normal and then suddenly you snap at people, or choke them!"

"Nothing, I'm just stressed out, that's all. I'm sorry." Tyler apologized. He didn't mean to be like that, but as the full moon was approaching, he was a bit on edge and let his body react before his brain.

"It's ok. Oh hey, look! Looks like Goldie Locks forgot her purse." Sam said to Tyler, who didn't react at that piece of information. "What are you still doing here? That's your chance to make it right. Go, go!" Sam pushed Tyler off his seat, who rushed outside.

* * *

_Ugh what a jerk!_ As if she didn't have enough problems already, she had to put up with an arrogant and cocky, but she had to admit, handsome guy! She wanted to get drunk and forget all of her problems but he ruined everything. Men were all the same, they acted like lions when they saw fresh meat.

"Hey! Caroline! Wait!" she heard _him_ calling her from across the parking lot. _Oh what did he want now? Men just have some thick skulls sometimes_, she sighed internally and stopped to face him.

"What part of 'fuck off' did you not understand?" she asked in an exasperated tone.

"You forgot your purse?" he offered, holding it up for her to see it.

"Oh. Thank you, Tyler." she said as she took the purse from his hands. He couldn't help but smirk when he noticed she said his name without sneering it. _It was an improvement_, he thought.

"Listen, I wanted to apologize too. I wasn't being a gentleman in there and I'm sure you had a lot on your mind. I'm sorry." he said, looking hopefully at her, waiting for her to acknowledge his apology.

"Don't worry about it, I'm already over it." she said curtly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm tired and I want to go." She quickly walked to her car, got in and slammed the door shut.

_Guess that means goodbye then. _He heard her start the engine as he slowly made his way back inside and stopped when he heard a window being rolled down. He looked over his shoulder to find her staring intently at him.

"Oh and one more thing… Next time you're planning to hit on a girl, make sure you're not out of practice." she smirked at him and quickly sped out of the parking lot, leaving him in the same spot. He huffed and shook his head, he was _out of practice_? _We'll see that next time we meet again_. But now he needed a beer. And badly so he resumed his way back to the Grill.

* * *

A/N: Sooo, 2nd story, first AU! We'll see how far this one goes xD Let me know what ya think, folks! (Please keep in mind that English is not my mother language!)

And please review! :)

Feedback = LOVE :D


	2. Carry Me

A Dark Secret

Chapter Two: Carry Me

Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries or the characters.

* * *

_Later that night…_

She was sitting in her car, parked in the driveway of her mother's house. She had been sitting in there for a little over than an hour now. She couldn't bring herself to leave it, it felt like a safe haven. If she went outside, she'd have to brace the tempest of tears and grief that were welling up. She raised her right hand and took a gulp from the bottle of bourbon she had bought on the way to the house. As the alcohol burned her throat, she stared at the key she had in her left hand for the past hour now. She waited for the buzz the alcohol to take effect, but it wasn't coming. She thought alcohol was numbing things but apparently that wasn't working well for her. She had stopped at the Grill to get drunk before embracing her past but was interrupted by what's-his-name-of-an-annoying-but-handsome-guy. She glanced at the house. She was stupid, she should have stayed at the Bed & Breakfast she had spotted near the Grill. She downed the rest of the liquor, tossed the now empty bottle on the seat next to her and got out of the car. She slammed the door and walked to the door.

As she put her foot on the porch, a tear fell down her cheek. And another one followed when she saw the old chair, which colors had faded over the years, near the front door. It belonged to her grandfather, she remembered it from the time she used to come here and spend the summer with her grandparents when she was younger – the house originally belonged to her grandparents'. She used to sit on his lap and they'd both watch the sun set in the horizon, leaving its place for the stars and the moon. It was with him she had learned the name of the constellations. A sad smile touched her lips at the memories. She turned to the front door, the curtains were set aside so she peaked inside. The place hadn't changed a bit since she last came here. In the dim light coming from the porch light, she saw her mother's boots in the hallway and her coat hanging on the coat racks. The only evidences proving that her mother had been living there. More tears were making her vision blurry. She couldn't do it, she couldn't go inside. She was sobbing now. Her knees gave away under her and she sank to the floor, hugging herself with her arms. The alcohol finally took a toll on her and she lay on her side, slowly losing consciousness as the tears continued to flow.

* * *

It was a little after midnight when Tyler left the Grill. He got in his car and was heading home when he decided to change his usual route. He decided to check on her, something was wrong, he could feel it in his gut. He drove to Sheriff Forbes' house and saw her car parked in the driveway. He slowed down and peaked to see if there was any light inside the house. But he saw something else. He saw her, lying on the porch, just in front of the door.

He slammed his foot on the brake and parked in front of her house. He didn't care if his car was in the middle of the road, she was more important. He cut the engine off and rushed outside, not bothering to lock it. Her ran up to the porch and kneeled beside her. He could smell the heavy scent of alcohol emanating from her; she had drunk and a lot of it. At least she was still breathing. He looked at her face: her cheeks were still wet from tears she had shed. She probably cried herself to sleep. He lightly stroked her hair and brushed some strands out of her face. She wouldn't let anyone see it, but she was broken inside, he could clearly see it. She acted as though her mother's death wasn't affecting her but it was the opposite.

"Caroline?" he asked her, stroking her cheek. She didn't answer him. _Figures_, he thought, _if she drank that much_ _alcohol_, _she isn't about to reply or emerge from her slumber for that matter_.

He sighed and scooped her up in his arms. Her head lolled on his shoulder and he could feel her breathing on his neck. She felt light, small and so fragile in his arms. _What am I going to do with you?_ he thought. He would gladly bring her home with him but he wasn't so sure she would like that. He'd already screwed up once and he was certainly not going to do that twice. And then it hit him: he knew the perfect place. He decided to take her car instead of his, so that tomorrow she could still go in town and didn't need to walk or call a cab.

He was taking her to Mrs. Flowers' Bed & Breakfast. He thought she would like it there, Mrs. Flowers was the sweetest person he ever knew. He hoped she still had a vacant room. He glanced next to him, she was still out cold. He hoped she would be alright. He parked her car in a free spot and climbed out of it. He left her in the seat – _well it's not like she can go somewhere else in her state_, he thought –, and grabbed her bags before locking up the car.

* * *

The Bed & Breakfast's door dinged when he pushed it open. An old lady was working at the desk and was almost buried beneath all of the papers that were piling up. She looked up and furrowed her brow, probably trying to see who it was through her thick glasses. When she finally recognized Tyler, she rushed to him and cupped his cheeks with both her hands and patted them in a grandmotherly way. For as long as he could remember, she had always been very fond of him.

"Oh hello Tyler dear! It's been a while since I last saw you. You look fine! What brings you here at this god awful hour?" Mrs. Flowers greeted him jovially.

"Good evening Mrs. Flowers. Well, I need a room. Is there any chance you still have one vacant?" he asked, hoping she would say yes. Otherwise he would have to bring Caroline with him and when she'd wake up, she would probably bite his head off.

"Oh, you're awfully lucky, young man, a couple just cancelled this afternoon! But tell me dear, why would you want a room here when you practically live in a mansion?" she asked him with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a smile on her lips.

"Well, it's not for me… It's for a, um- a friend." he stuttered, redness spreading on his cheeks at her assumption. The old lady bent on the side and looked behind him. Seeing no one, looked up at him quizzically.

"Well, where is this _friend_?" she asked.

"I- um- she's right outside." he said hitching his thumb over his shoulder. Mrs. Flowers smiled again at the mention of the 'she'.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go and get her!" she ushered him outside and watched him deposit the bags on the floor before he went outside.

When Tyler opened the car's door, Caroline was still in the same position he'd left her. He scooped her up and headed back to the office. Mrs. Flowers was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs leaning against the rail and gasped when she saw the state Caroline was in.

"Oh, dear God! Young man, you disappoint me! How could let this girl drink that much alcohol while you were with her?" she scolded Tyler, a scandalized look on her face.

"I wasn't with her. I was heading back home when I saw her, she was already passed out. So I thought I'd bring her here." he explained.

"That was good thinking. Now follow me, the room is upstairs and we need to take care of this young lady." she said as she led the way upstairs. He managed to grab the bags and carry them as well as her as he climbed up the flight of stairs after Mrs. Flowers. She stopped at the room number three and fiddled a moment with the key before the door finally creaked open.

"I'm going to head back downstairs. Once she's settled, will you meet me at the front desk? I need you to check your friend in." she said, turning at him. He nodded and she left them.

Tyler crossed the room and gently set her on the king-sized bed. At least she would be comfortable now. He set the bags in front of the closet and grabbed a comforter hanging on a nearby chair. He wrapped it tightly around her small frame. He sat on the bed next to her and tenderly caressed her cheek, causing her to sigh in her sleep. Feeling bold, he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

_Speaking of head_, he thought, _she_ _will have a massive hangover tomorrow_. He got up and walked in the en-suite bathroom. Searching the cabinet, he found some Tylenol. That _will do the trick_, he thought while setting it on the bedside table. He looked again at her and sighed. He shouldn't be near her, he should avoid her like the plague. _He_ was dangerous, his _world_ was dangerous. But he just couldn't ignore the pull he felt towards her. She was intoxicating him. He slapped himself mentally, here he was again, acting like a hormonal teenager. He cast her a last glance and left the room.

* * *

"Is she alright?" Mrs. Flowers asked him when he got to the desk.

"I guess so… I hope so." he said, grabbing the pen she was handing him and starting to fill in the register. When he was done, he handed her back the book. When Mrs. Flowers saw her name, she gasped loudly.

"Oh my god! Is she the Sheriff's daughter? I heard rumors this afternoon saying she was in town but I thought they were rubbish because Sheriff Forbes never mentioned having a daughter." she whispered.

"Yes she is. I'm not really surprised she kept it a secret, she was not the kind to brag. As for Caroline, I think she was drowning her sorrows in alcohol, and she passed out." Tyler replied.

"Oh poor thing. She's lucky that you found her and brought her here." she said, patting his hand, looking at him lovingly. She was definitely very fond of him.

"Yeah, well tell her that! She's not really fond of me right now." he muttered and cleared his throat. "I guess I should probably be on my way now. Thank you again Mrs. Flowers." he thank the old woman. He pushed the door open, waved goodbye and started to walk towards her home. But what he didn't see was the old woman's smile.

"Ah the poor boy is completely smitten! He'll surely find a way to charm her." she laughed and returned to her papers, the smile not disappearing. Maybe she couldn't see very well but her ears were working perfectly fine.

* * *

A/N: I know it's a bit confusing for now but it's going to clear up next chapters. Caroline is human and Tyler's a werewolf. She doesn't know anything about the existence of supernatural creatures in Mystic Falls… for now :p (I forgot to tell you that, sorry :S)!

And please review :)

Feedback = LOVE :D


	3. Lost Someone

A Dark Secret

Chapter Three: Lost Someone

Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries or the characters (but I do own Sam, and the lawyer in this)

* * *

_The next morning…_

Caroline awoke from the bright sunlight streaming through the curtains, which shone directly in her eyes. And God, she had such a horrible hangover. She could hear her own blood pulsing in her ears and her head was pounding. She shut her eyes tightly again, the sun was way too bright for her liking. She brought her hand to her forehead, she felt like she was hit by a truck but at the same time like she was floating on some sort of cloud. As if… she was on a bed, everything under her felt so soft. She reluctantly cracked her eyes open again and looked around her: she was in a room. She frowned. How did she get there? She huffed and shook her head, she didn't even remember how she ended up here! The last thing she remembered was drinking, and drinking _a lot_ of alcohol. _Way to go Caroline_, she sighed internally, _way to go_…

She slowly and carefully sat up, not wanting to ruin the sheets in case she did have to puke. She took in her surroundings: the room was the nice color of white and light blue. The bedspread was also white, with a pattern of blue flowers. She had a navy blue comforter tightly wrapped around her. She also spotted pain killers (_Thank God!) _and next to them, some sort of card on the bedside table, which read:

_Welcome to Flowers' Bed & Breakfast!_

_Breakfast is served from 7:30 AM to 9 AM._

_In case you need anyth__ing – fresh towels/sheets, informations or company – don't hesitate to ask!_

_We hope you will enjoy your stay here!_

So she was at the B&B she spotted last night on her way to the Grill. She glanced at the clock; it was already 10:47 AM. _Dang for my breakfast_, she thought. Maybe it was too late for a breakfast but she was in a much more desperate need of a shower, she felt really horrible and filthy as well. She got up and noticed that someone had taken her bags up. She needed to thank whoever that person was later and also crawl in a dark corner – she probably made such a fool out of herself… Seriously.

She grabbed her toiletries bag, fresh clothes and the pain killers on her way to the bathroom. There, she swallowed two pills, then stripped out of her clothes and hopped under the hot spray of water, washing away all traces of alcohol and sweat that clung on her body. She stayed in the shower for quite a time, until the water became cold. Then, she brushed her teeth and dressed.

Someone knocked on the door just as she walked out of the bathroom, now fully dressed. She opened the door and came face to face with an wrinkled woman carrying a tray with food.

"Good morning! I came to check on you a few moments ago but I heard the shower running so I thought I could prepare you something to eat in the mean time, I'm sure you must be hungry. Oh I'm Mrs. Flowers by the way." she introduced herself in a chipper voice.

"Hello Mrs. Flowers, nice to meet you. I'm–"

"Caroline, yes I know!" she said as she brushed past a stunned Caroline and set down the tray on the coffee table.

"Thank you. For the food I mean. It wasn't necessary-" she started but was cut off again.

"Oh nonsense, it's nothing dear! But how's your head though?"

"Better." she replied. "Do you have any idea how I came here? I mean… Who- who brought me here?" she then asked.

"That would be Tyler. That was so chivalrous of him if you ask me, to come to your assistance."

"Tyler? Short black hair, brown eyes, broad shoulders?" she asked, the colors draining from her face.

"Yes that's him, Tyler Lockwood, our mayor's son. He is such a nice and sweet boy, and very handsome too." she chuckled. "Are you alright? You look a little pale." she asked when she saw Caroline.

"Yes. I'm still a bit confused, that is all. But I'm ok."

"Well, I should get going, I don't want to hold you back. If you need anything, I'll be downstairs." she said and left Caroline standing there, frowning.

_Huh_,_ what an interesting turn of events_…

* * *

So the 'someone' she needed to thank was Tyler… Yes, she definitely will be crawling in a dark space when she will see and thank him. And apologize too, because she wasn't very nice to him either. She was sure that he will laugh at her… She was already seeing the smug smirk toying on his lips when she'd walk to him. She shook her head. He'd occupied her thoughts since this morning and it was driving her nuts.

"Mrs. Forbes." the secretary called her, pulling her out of her reverie. Caroline followed her to the lawyer's office. "Mr. Ellis will be with you in a minute." she said curtly and shut the door before Caroline could respond.

_Uh, this is one charming lady_, she rolled her eyes and a man in his late forties entered the office.

"Ah, Miss Forbes I presume." he greeted her. "John Ellis."

"Hello, Mr. Ellis." Caroline replied politely.

"Please take a seat." he waved toward the pair of chairs facing his desk, before sitting down. "Well Miss Forbes, before we talk about details, I wanted to offer you my sincere condolences. Your mother was a terrific person and I'm proud that I had the pleasure to meet her."

"Thank you." she replied in a tight voice.

"I have here her last will and testament. To make things simple, because I know how hard this can be for some, your mother left you everything she possessed. And everything includes the house, the car and half of her money _– _the other half going to the Mystic Falls' police department."

"Don't you… Aren't you supposed to read it? The will, I mean?" she asked, confused.

"Ah the nonsense some television shows _and_ movies feed to people." he shook his head. "So now about some details, I'll just need you to sign here and here, please…"

And so went the rest of her appointment: sign here, agree to that, sign there… She was starting to feel dizzy and was glad when it was finally over – she was exhausted. And also confused by the fact that her mother left her everything. She had learned from the lawyer that her mother's will was made when she had moved to Mystic Falls a few years prior. They weren't in speaking terms and she still didn't exclude her from her will… She was so deep in thought she bumped into someone when she walked out of the office.

"Oof!" a masculine voice said, followed by the loud '_splash_' of papers landing on the floor.

"I'm so, so sorry! I didn't see you." she apologized, bending to pick up the scattered papers.

"Oh it's ok, don't worry!" he said. "Oh so you're Caroline?" he then asked and her head shot up to look at him.

"And you are?" she asked wearily, studying him: he had short light brown hair and gray eyes. She'd never seen or talked to him before. So how did he know who she was?

"Sam, a friend's of Tyler and also John Ellis' son. Pleased to meet you." he explained, offering his hand. She shook it.

"Oh a 'friend' of Tyler, hm? So I assume he told you about me." she said curtly.

"Well, actually I only saw you two bickering from afar and it was actually very funny to watch!" he smiled and continued in a serious tone. "But he didn't say a word to me about you."

"Oh really?" she asked skeptically. He straightened and put his hand on his heart.

"Scout's honor – even if I never was a scout but whatever, you get the gist." he chuckled and she had no other choice but to smile, he was such a hyper and goofy person. Then his expression darkened. "Tyler's not the one to brag. He used to be like that in high school but not anymore. Now he's kinda like the reclusive guy who seeks no social contacts at all. If it weren't for me and the guys, I don't think he would even go out."

"Why? What happened?" she asked, curious. What Sam just said had picked her interest.

"I'm not really the one who can explain to you how Tyler Lockwood's mind works but I'm sure it has to do about his father and the gir-…" he stopped, suddenly looking nervous as if he said too much.

"And the… what?" she prompt.

"Errr… I think you should ask him yourself because that's a dark part of his past. He'd kill me if he knew that I was the one who told you that. And anyways, I don't even know everything. What I know, I learned it from the news and the papers, Tyler never talks about it. Please, don't make me talk more about it, this is really not my place to tell." he begged.

"Okay." she said, "I'll ask him myself then." She suppressed a laughter when she saw him breathe from relief.

"Well, it was a pleasure to finally meet you, the one and only who's keeping Tyler on his toes. And please don't hit me after what I'm about to say but, don't be so hard on him, it's the first time in years that I've seen some sort of reaction in him. It's like you brought him back to life. Sort of. "

"I get what you mean."

"Good, I guess I'll see you around." he waved and jogged to his car, the papers tucked under his arms.

"I guess so." she said, but more to herself.

* * *

Caroline had dreaded that moment since she had set foot in this town and now it was time. It was dusk. She should have been afraid to be here at that time, all alone, but she wasn't, she felt at peace. She found the silence of the cemetery eerily comforting and calming. No one in sight, the coolness of the night slowly spreading in the air after the sun and its heat had set. She walked through the rows of graves until she found her mother's. She didn't know what to do so she just stood there, as silent tears were rolling down her cheeks.

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly, and his musky scent invaded her nostrils. She had seen him approaching, hesitating before deciding to join her. She quickly brushed away the tears and glanced up to find him staring at her, concerning etching his features.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

"I come here every month. To bring her flowers." he answered. "Daisies." She glanced at the flowers he was holding in his right hand.

"They were her favorite."

"I know." he simply said as he removed his hand from her shoulder to put down the flowers and she immediately missed its warmth. They were silent again for a moment, standing side by side, when she suddenly hugged him. He immediately responded and enveloped her in his arms in a tight embrace.

"Thank you." she whispered against his torso.

"For what?" he asked, confused.

"For being there." she simply answered.

"You're welcome." he quietly said, as he brushed his hand up and down her back.

She pulled back and faced the grave once more. She took a deep breath, she'll have to come back again and this time she needed to be alone to do what she intended to do. She began to walk away and he followed her. They were silent as they walked through the cemetery. They finally reached their cars and before she could leave, his hand shot out and encircled her wrist. She looked up quizzically.

"Are you ok?" he asked, not being able to hold back the question. She glared at him and shook her arm free from his grasp.

"Are you really asking me that? Really? Because the hell I'm not ok! But I don't really want to talk about it now. And not with you." she barked but he really couldn't blame her for lashing out at him.

"Ok." He let it go. "I shouldn't have asked that, I'm sorry. I know what it's like, people asking you that question when in reality they don't really want an answer to their question." She didn't reply, just looked at him, the silence between them growing more and more awkward as the seconds passed.

"Well, aren't you going to make fun of me?" she finally said, breaking the silence.

"Making fun of you? Err… I don't- I don't understand what you're meaning by that. Care to enlighten me?" He really didn't know what she was talking about.

"About last night? Me, drunk, making a fool out of myself? So drunk that you needed to bring me to the B&B? What else would I be talking about! Gee!"

"I don't see why I should be laughing." he answered honestly.

"You don't?" she asked, puzzled and he shook his head. "Oh, ok. Anyways, um- thank you. For doing that."

"You needed help, I was there."

"I guess- I should go." She looked like she wanted to add something else but she just walked away.

"Wait! Are you sure you can drive? I could drive you back to the B&B if you want." He proposed, knowing she would refuse.

"I'm fine, really." she insisted, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Ok." he said, not really convinced. "Just- just be careful, ok?"

"I will." she promised him. "Bye." With that she quickly got in her car and drove away. She glanced in the rearview mirror and saw him standing in the same spot where she left him. She didn't understand why he was so concerned about her and her safety. And she hugged him! She didn't know why she did that but for once it felt good to have someone who was there for her. She shook her head; she needed to leave this town as soon as possible. _Why? would you ask. Because it's starting to mess with my head, that's why_, she thought.

He watched her car disappear around the corner before he finally decided to move and slowly made his way to his own.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay folks :S and I'm not satisfied at all at how it turned out (especially the end, which I find waaay too OOC). Ok, so I tried to make it longer but I failed miserably...

Another sad-ish chapter but things will get chipper soon! :p Oh and did I mention that I loooove Mrs. Flowers and Sam?

And *_**spoiler – don't read if you don't want to know, don't say I didn't warn you!**_* Tyler's back to MF YAY!

And please, review (come on, don't be shy!) :D because FEEDBACK = LOVE!


	4. Life Is For Living

A Dark Secret

Chapter Four: Life Is For Living

Disclaimer: Still don't own The VD's

* * *

_Previously…_

_Caroline is new to town – taking care of some personal matters – and Tyler immediately notices her but she won't even spare him a glance. Later, he finds her passed out on her house's porch and brings her to Mrs. Flowers, owner of the town's Bed & Breakfast. The next day, Caroline finds out Tyler brought here there and they bond at her mother's grave…_

* * *

Two days had passed since Caroline went to her mother's grave and saw Tyler there – and by the same occasion, hugged him. She couldn't believe she did that and even though it had felt good on the moment, she couldn't let herself care about someone; it always brought disappointment and heartbreak every time she let someone in. Nonetheless, she was intrigued by him; there was something that emanated from him that made him different from the others. She had failed to notice it earlier but now that she thought about it, there was indeed something. And she wanted to know what it was, that was lying under the surface. But in the last few days, she'd waltzed from bank appointments to other boring appointments, and she'd also helped Mrs. Flowers to organize her paperwork, so she didn't have much time – but still enough – to think about it. She'd also kept herself occupied to avoid the thing she absolutely didn't want to do: put her mother's stuff in boxes. In fact she tried _not _to think about it at all; she was such a coward, but doing that would allow the harsh reality to sink in further, that her mother was indeed gone.

After another long morning of appointments, she was now at the Grill, sitting in one of the booths. She looked up from the menu when she heard someone walk past her table. It was Sam and a girl. She had long and curly brown hair.

"Sam?" Caroline exclaimed, surprised.

"Hey Caroline!" he greeted her. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm… okay. Thanks." she replied and decided to change the subject. "So, aren't you going to introduce us?" she gestured to the girl standing next to Sam.

"Oh, yes, right… sorry." he said. "Caroline, this is my girlfriend Bonnie Bennett. Bonnie, this is Caroline Forbes."

"It's nice to meet you!" Bonnie said genuinely, extending her hand and smiling warmly at Caroline.

"You too." Caroline replied and shook her hand. "Do you want to sit down?" she then asked, gesturing to the seats in front of her. Caroline surprised herself by inviting them to eat with her. She wasn't usually someone who was that bold with people she barely knew. This town was really messing with her.

"Of course, we would love to." Bonnie replied immediately. "Thank you."

"So, what do you recommend? Pasta or burger and fries?" Caroline asked them once they were seated.

She had looked around while hiding behind her menu, only to see that almost everyone around her had one of the dishes she just talked about in front of them.

"That must be their most popular dishes. I'm kind of scared to order something else, especially when I see people only having one of those two meals." She looked back at Sam and Bonnie when she heard them chuckle. "What?"

"Nothing!" they said in unison.

"Actually, we don't know why," Bonnie said, still smiling, "but people always seem to order those two meals. It's kind of funny." And Caroline grinned. So she wasn't the only one that had noticed that…

While Caroline looked back at the menu, she thought about Bonnie. She had been warm towards Caroline, who suspected she was a very loyal friend. Caroline was rarely wrong about a person and her first impressions were crucial to determine if the person was friend material or not – though the '_rarely_' didn't apply to Tyler, whom she had still a hard time figuring out. She set down her menu, deciding she was having the same as the pair. Sam was about to hail a waiter when Bonnie's phone went off. She glanced at the name flashing on the screen and her eyes lit up when she saw who it was.

"Oh look, it's Elena!" she said to Sam excitedly and then turned to Caroline, an apologetic smile on her face. "I'm so sorry, I know it's really really rude, I don't mean to be rude to you right from the start–"

"It's okay, answer the call." Caroline reassured her. "I understand." she insisted as she saw Bonnie's guilt ridden face.

Bonnie then hurried off, a big smile on her face as she put the phone to her ear. Caroline sighed sadly… If only she had _real_ friends like this.

The waiter stopped at their table and they both decided to order. Sam ordered himself and Bonnie a burger and Caroline decided to have the same. Their meals came up shortly after the waiter had taken their orders and they both dug in. Caroline noticed then how hungry she was.

"This isn't as bad as I had imagined." she said. "It's actually good." she added and took another bite.

"Yeah, the Grill is kinda famous for their burgers." he replied, smiling.

"So have you seen Tyler these past few days?" she asked without thinking, and when he looked at her curiously, she cursed her subconscious; why wouldn't it forget the dark haired man?

"No, I haven't seen him. He's probably back hiding in his burrow. And _I _will have to make him go outside." he sighed. "Why are you asking anyway?" he then asked nonchalantly, his eyes on her. _Think Caroline, think!_

"Um– I was, just trying to make conversation, that's all." she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"I see." he said and his face became serious. "Look, don't take it personally but I think it would be best for you, not to get too much involved with Tyler Lockwood. I say that, not because I don't think you can take care of yourself, but his life is… rather complicated."

"You're right, I _can_ take care of myself."

"I'm sure you can. But promise me, you'll be careful."

"Fine, I will. But there is something I don't understand… You're his friend, right? And you're complaining about him not going out, having not many friends… and yet you're the one who's pushing people away from him." Caroline frowned.

"Yes, but you're not most people. I see the way he looks at _you_. You have to understand, he's different and once you get too much involved, there's no turning back. So please, be careful." he said, his eyes pleading.

"Ok." she said quietly. She was sure that Sam knew much more than he admitted even if last time he said he didn't know much, which made her even more curious about the mysterious Tyler Lockwood.

"Ok. Let's talk about something else. The weather's going to be fine the next few days and we're heading down to the lake this weekend, so if you want to join us, it'll be awesome! I could introduce you to some other friends of us…" he went on and Caroline was grateful that he changed the subject. Just as she was about to reply, Bonnie came back to their table.

"I was just telling Caroline we were heading to the lake this weekend…" Sam started but Bonnie cut him off.

"Oh yes, you should totally come with us!" she said excitedly. "It's so beautiful there, you have to see it."

"I'll think about it." Caroline replied, not making any promises.

They spend the rest of the lunch to talk about the trip planned to the lake among other things. Tyler wasn't brought up again, which didn't mean Caroline didn't think about him.

* * *

That afternoon, back at the B&B's room and lying on her back, Caroline was thinking about so many different things that her head slowly started to hurt. She decided she'd had enough so she got up and headed downstairs. Mrs. Flowers was there of course, sitting in front of a brand new computer Caroline had convinced her to buy; she looked up when she heard Caroline coming in and a smile immediately spread on her face.

"Ah darling! I must say, since I bought this machine – on your advice –, it is much easier to keep track of the reservations and whatnot! Thank you very much!"

"Oh, it's nothing." Caroline smiled and eyed the desk, that was now pretty well cleared out.

"I didn't face any problem with it until now, but what will I do without you once it decides to rebel against me?"

"I'm sure someone will gladly lend you a hand. And besides, you're doing great, you won't need anyone."

"But tell me dear, when will you go back?" she asked, sadness pointing in her voice.

"Two weeks top. There's nothing left here for me, so I don't see why I should stay once I've taken care of everything." Caroline said.

"There are plenty of things here that are attached to you, the most important is your legacy. I knew your grandparents and your mother as well; I don't want to guilt you in staying here but I'm sure they would want you to settle down here, instead of in that concrete Apple you are leaving in. And there is that certain handsome man…" she teased, her eyes twinkling.

"Who?" Caroline asked innocently, knowing exactly who she was talking about and the old lady quirked an eyebrow. "_That_ is absolutely _not_ a reason to stay here. Besides, what would I do here? Back in New York I've got a job–"

"I'm sure the Mystic Falls Tribune will gladly engage you once they see how talented you are." Mrs. Flowers interrupted her.

"W-what?" Caroline asked, taken aback by the boldness of the B&B owner. She remembered telling Mrs. Flowers a few days ago that she was sort of a writer but she didn't exactly say what _kind_ of writer she was.

"Well, this little machine here helped me. I googled you after you told me you were a writer and found articles you wrote at The New York Times and I must say, they are highly entertaining." she said, but Caroline could hear curiosity in her words nonetheless.

"It wasn't something I had planned out, it was just a temporary job but it had a steady income every month, I needed the money so I stayed there." she explained.

"I can smell a 'but'."

"Of course there's a 'but'. Writing general articles are sometimes boring and I'd prefer having a section in the fashion part of a magazine you know, do something I would like to do."

"Then why don't you do something about it?" Mrs. Flowers asked.

"I don't know…"

"Well, you should seriously think about it. You certainly have a great potential!" Caroline smiled at the woman's kindness but lost her smile when she finished her phrase. "And also, I know someone who would be very happy if you stayed here." she added coyly and Caroline raised an eyebrow.

"Tyler likes you very much." she simply said and Caroline blushed. "I can see it. It's the first time I've seen him like this. You are good for him."

Before Caroline could reply, the woman disappeared towards the kitchen, leaving Caroline to ponder on her words. She didn't know what to think about her words; was she trying to set her up with him? She shook her head, this lady was really one of a kind, and she clearly didn't mince her words! Caroline's head turned towards the kitchen when she heard glass clicking and Mrs. Flowers appeared carrying a tray with a lemonade pitcher and two glasses.

"Tell me, are you going to Sam Ellis' party this weekend?" she asked and poured the glasses before handing one to Caroline.

"He mentioned it to me but I'm not sure I'm going." Caroline said, sipping her drink. It reminded her of the one her grandmother used to make when she was little.

"Why not? It's the perfect excuse to get out of this town and have some fun." she replied.

"It's not really my thing anymore. So I'm just gonna stay here."

"And going to be cooped up inside the entire weekend? I don't think so. Plus it's a very nice location, a perfect place when you want to relax and meditate. And then on the evening you can have some fun." Caroline hadn't even opened her mouth to protest when Mrs. Flowers continued. "You need to take some time off. And Tyler may be there too." she chuckled and Caroline had to smile and blush at the same time at the woman's persistence to set them up.

"I'll think about it." Caroline then said but it was very unlikely she would accept the invitation.

* * *

He knocked quietly on the door, waiting for the order to come inside. When he heard the cold voice speak the words, he couldn't repress the shudder that went through his body; he didn't have very good news. He breathed in and walked in the room.

"He isn't taking our calls since he hang up on us a couple of days ago." he spoke as he headed towards the desk.

"It doesn't matter anymore. We'll go get him ourselves, and do _whatever_ it takes to change his mind and have him by our side." came the cold reply and his brows knit together.

The answer was clearly suggesting doing not very human things. He suppressed another shudder; how could anyone be so heartless? He was having doubts on being there with them and disagreed with the new rules. It wasn't like this before.

"When are we leaving?" he asked.

"Soon." was the vague response.

"I'll tell the others." he said and promptly got out of the room; he didn't want to stay one more minute in this room.

_It was time. It won't be long until everything will be as it is supposed to be_.

* * *

A/N: So long time, no read! It's been 4 months since I've updated this fic but fear not, I'm back :) I plan to finish this story before the summer hiatus is over.

I'd like to thank Forwoodx3! Without her, I do not think I would have posted this chapter! You rock, _flicka_! (;


	5. Pride

A Dark Secret

Chapter Five: Pride

Disclaimer: I own nothing from The VD's

* * *

Caroline was rummaging through her suitcase and stuffing clothes in a duffle bag; Sam had dropped by shortly after their lunch and with Mrs. Flowers' help, he had convinced her to take some time off and join him and his old high school friends to his lake house for a few days. Caroline was disappointed to hear that Bonnie couldn't make it to the party but she would be there by Saturday. She had been glad she would at least know one girl at the party – and someone that was actually nice for a change – but Fate had other plans for Caroline. She sighed and threw a pair of jeans in her bag.

Since the lake was one hour drive away, Sam said she could – _will_ – stay in one of the guest rooms. She was slowly starting to regret her decision. What would she do once she was there? Exactly how many people were going to this party? She didn't know any of them! She bit back a curse; if Mrs. Flowers hadn't insisted she go, she would have declined the invitation. But she couldn't say no to Mrs. Flowers, so now she packing some clothes for the weekend and the party she was attending.

One of the many reasons she was reluctant to go would be the stares; wherever she went in this town, curious eyes were scrutinizing her from head to toe and she felt like she was an alien that had landed on Earth. And that was bound to happen there too, she was sure of it.

And there was also the possibility she might see Tyler there too; she didn't know if he was going to be there or not, but she hoped for the latter. If he was there, she definitely won't know how to act towards him. It would have been simple to go back to ignoring him but she just couldn't after he'd comforted her in a moment of grief. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud knocking on the door. It was Mrs. Flowers, who told her Sam was waiting for her in the lobby. She thanked the old woman and checked one last time if she didn't forget to pack something and made her way downstairs.

After saying goodbye to Mrs. Flowers, the duo left Mystic Falls and began their one hour trip to the lake. Caroline had agreed to ride with Sam since she didn't know the way and although the party was only the day after, she had assured Sam it would be no problem if they had to be there a day early. She most certainly didn't mind, it would give her some time to check out the surroundings and the possible hiding places if she wanted to escape the party. They pleasantly chatted the entire way and before they knew it, they were already there.

As Caroline got out of the car, she was taken aback by the scenery that played out before her eyes. Everything was of brown and green colors: the houses – she should probably use the word _mansions_, as they were absolutely huge – were a deep brown color and were nestled between the thick pine forest. She breathed in and the smell of the pines and the wood invaded her nose. She then saw the lake, which mirrored the trees, the houses in small brown flecks and then the blue of the sky. It was beautiful and Caroline thought she would have immensely enjoyed her time here, alone.

Sam had told her in the car every founding families of Mystic Falls had a lake house, but she didn't know or remember anything about her family owning one… Sam didn't know either when she asked him about it. Once they were back in Mystic Falls, she would look into it she promised herself. She was surprised at how fast she grew attached to this place, a thing she never would have thought possible. But she had to remember she wouldn't stay here forever.

"It's quite a view, isn't it?" Sam came up behind her, startling her from her reverie.

"It's beautiful." she agreed and then noticed he was carrying their bags. "Here, let me help you with that." she offered.

He didn't refuse her help and together, they carried their bags inside in one trip. Caroline was even more astounded when she saw the interior of the house; everything was wooden, it was warm, it made her feel at home. She scoffed internally; it had been a long time since the last she called a place _home_. The décor was stunning but what retained her attention even more was the view on the lake from the living room; the windows were stretching out on a large part of the wall. She heard Sam laugh quietly and turned her head around, she raised her eyebrows in question.

"Your face is too funny."

"What? I've never been inside a house like this. It's…it's huge!" she retorted. He just shook his head, a smile on his face and Caroline rolled her eyes.

Sam lead her upstairs once she finished her 'gawking' as he put it, to the room she will sleep in during her stay. When the door opened, she wasn't surprised: just as the rest of the house, her room was just as stunning. And not to mention that she had a view on the lake and the forest from her window.

Once she was settled, she joined Sam in the kitchen, who had his head in a cupboard.

"What are you doing? Checking for spider webs?" Caroline asked, scaring Sam who bumped his head on the inside of the cupboard. Caroline had to stifle her laughter when she heard him curse.

"My gosh, you scared me to death." he said to her while rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm sorry." Caroline smiled at him in apology. "I wanted to know… Is it okay if I wander around? Or do you need some help to set up something?" she then asked.

"Nope, there's nothing to do. And besides, Bonnie would kill me if she was here and see me making a guest 'work'." he said and motioned for her to go when she didn't move. "I can see you're dying to go outside."

"Ok!"

Caroline didn't waste another minute and rushed out of the house. She felt some kind of wonder when she set her eyes on the landscape before her. It had been so long since she'd been somewhere where there was no concrete sidewalks and buildings in a 10 mile radius. It was just nature in plain sight. She breathed in and took the path on the left of the house.

* * *

She had lost track of time of how long she'd been hiking. Though it had been quite a time, she was sure that she didn't left longer than one hour. She was on her way back when she stopped at a small cove sheltered from the sun by the trees. The bank was covered with small pebbles but she still took off her shoes and rolled up her jeans to mid-calf. She moved forwards to the water and plunged her feet in the cool water. She sighed; it felt so good on her feet, which were aching from her long walk. She glanced at the houses that surrounded the lake. She really didn't understand how the people who owned all of those houses weren't there; on her walk, she saw that many of them were empty. If it was up to her, she would spend the entire summer here.

Suddenly, she heard the noise of crunched gravels and she quickly spun around, splashing water on her jeans. The last person she expected to see was standing in front of her…the one and only Tyler Lockwood, who wore a surprised look on his face. He was coming from a run and his sleeveless shirt was drenched with sweat. She looked at him and not knowing what to do, she crossed her arms. He just stared back at her, not saying a word either.

"Hi." she finally said, not standing the awkward silence anymore – and the staring.

"Hi." was his reply. There was an awkward pause again.

"Um, I should probably head back, see if Sam needs some help…with things." she said as a lame excuse to get away from him and hastily put her shoes back on.

As she walked past him, he grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. She looked up at him.

"You shouldn't wander around alone in the woods. It's dangerous." he said, though it sounded more like an order the way he said and it angered her. Who was he to tell her where she could and where she couldn't go?

"I'm not a child, I can take care of myself. I can go where I want and whenever I want!" she sputtered and snatched her arm away from his grasp.

"Doesn't change the fact that it's still dangerous." he replied and she blushed, not from embarrassment but from anger. Was he implying she couldn't take care of herself? What a jerk!

"You know what? Leave me alone and go to hell." she glared at him.

"Oh, I'm already in it." was his strange and glum reply but she didn't phaze over it too long, as she wanted to go as far away as she possibly could from him. She had only made three steps when she heard him cough loudly. She stopped, but didn't turn to him.

"Sam's house is the other way." he said, amused tone attached to his voice.

She didn't reply to him and simply marched in the other direction, fuming. Great, now she had to deal with him on top of the other people that were to be here for the party. Why had she even agreed to come again?

* * *

When she arrived back at the house, Sam was sprawled on the couch and about to nod off. When he heard the door slam, he almost fell off the couch in surprise. He noticed she was upset but didn't say a word about it.

It was past seven already and they decided it was time to eat. Sam entertained her with his jokes and other funny stories while making dinner. It wasn't long until she was smiling again and laughed at his jokes. They were setting the table when a loud knock on the door startled them both. Sam frowned in confusion and left to open the front door.

As Caroline saw who it was, she almost dropped the plate she had in her hand. He was clad in dark blue jeans and a white T-shirt that made his broad shoulders and muscular arms even more stand out. He was really handsome, but what a jerk. She noticed his dark eyes were staring at her just as intently. She turned her gaze down and cursed herself mentally that she got caught checking him out.

"Tyler? What are you doing here, you said you probably wouldn't come…" Sam asked, surprised.

"I changed my mind." Tyler answered casually and Caroline resisted the urge to snort at his reply.

"Um, come in." Sam invited him in when he realized they still hadn't moved one inch. "We were just about to eat dinner. Would you like to stay?" he asked Tyler.

"I would love to." And Caroline dropped the fork she was about to put down, which clattered against the plate; she had silently begged he wouldn't agree to stay but of course, '_he would love to stay'_.

"I hope it's not a problem if he stays?" Sam turned to Caroline.

"Of course not!" she said with a forced smile but Sam didn't notice it, too engrossed in talking to his friend.

She turned her back to them, continuing to set the table but she could feel his gaze boring into her back. And then, what Caroline had feared the most happened… Sam excused himself to get drinks from god-knows-where-he-put-them and left the two of them alone. Once he was out of sight and earshot, Caroline turned to Tyler, who had stepped closer to her, and glared at him.

"You have got to be kidding me!" she whisper yelled at him. "What the hell are you doing here? Are you here to taunt me or what? Tell me what I should eat and drink perhaps?" she poked in his chest with her finger.

He laughed quietly at her and she became even more enraged.

"Oh, you think this is funny, don't you? God, you're such a jerk!" she smacked him on his chest and stomped purposely on his foot. When he let out a little yelp she smiled, satisfied from his pain and stepped away from him just as Sam was back with drinks in his hands. He stopped when he saw Tyler making a face and Caroline smiling.

"What happened to you?" he said, eyeing Tyler.

"Nothing, I just bumped my foot." Tyler replied and Caroline had to press her lips together, trying hard not to laugh.

"No wonder you're both making such faces." he laughed and they finally sat at the table.

No incident happened during the dinner, which was delicious. Caroline did her best not to look at Tyler but she could sense his gaze on her throughout the whole dinner. Luckily Sam was there and did most of the talking. After they finished dessert, Caroline volunteered to clear the table so that she could escape from Tyler's stare and hurried to the kitchen with the plates. Once she was there, she rinsed them and started to put them away in the dishwasher when she was interrupted. It was him.

"You forgot the glasses." he said and Caroline turned to him. She snatched them away from his hands and put them with the rest of the dishes. He didn't move.

"You can go now." she snapped and crossed her arms. She tried not to shiver when he came closer. He was wearing a serious expression, she gulped.

"I didn't mean to upset you." he apologized, his voice soft. "I'm sorry."

And before she could say anything, he was out of the kitchen. She exhaled loudly. The more she was near him, the more he was confusing her. She had never been that much affected by someone. She buried her face in her hands. He was getting under her skin, and she had to stop it before it was too late. _And before he could snake his way to your heart_, a voice at the back of her head whispered.

She heard the front door slam shut; he had left. Sam entered a few seconds later in the kitchen and eyed her as if he knew what had happened and caused the abrupt departure of his friend, but he didn't say anything and she was grateful for it. She couldn't deal with any more drama tonight. She bid goodnight to her host and retired for the night, knowing she would probably be haunted by dark brown eyes for the rest of the night.

* * *

A/N: This chapter was so fun to write! I apologize if there were typos or any weird sentences… I proofread myself and am not a native speaker!

And I'd like to thank Melly for reviewing (since I can't reply to you personally)! Thank you! (:


	6. Save You

A Dark Secret

Chapter Six: Save You

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything…

* * *

She knew it had been a bad idea to come. The more people arrived, the more she felt uncomfortable. They had eyed her just like she predicted they would but it didn't last long – which she was grateful for – and after Sam had introduced his friends to her, they didn't linger too long, as they were too busy to reunite with other long lost friends and hit the booze. They were happily partying, completely oblivious of Caroline, which was fine by her. She took a look around again; she still hadn't spotted Tyler yet. Either he wasn't coming or she didn't see him coming in and was somewhere in the packed room. She was feeling anxious to see him again and wondered what will happen when that happens.

All of a sudden, she felt oppressed by the stuffy air and chose to leave the noisy house and go outside in the cool night to take a stroll along the dark water of the lake. Once she was out of the house, she felt better and sighed. She approached the water and she suppressed a shudder: it felt like someone was watching her. She turned her head around but she couldn't see anything with the darkness. She shrugged, thinking she was only imagining it and began walking on the small path that stretched beside the water.

Why did she even agree to come here? She should have known better, she scolded herself. She wanted to hide somewhere and wait until it was all finished, but she assumed it would be a little while. She was so in thought, she didn't notice she was getting closer to the edge of the forest. She was about to turn back on the path she came from, when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, a fearful look on her face and then spotted a man she had briefly met earlier coming towards her. His movements were so swift, she didn't even have time to react when he grabbed her and clamped a hand on her mouth. He dragged her towards the forest, where no one would see or hear them. She could smell that he was pretty drunk and a lump formed in her throat. _This couldn't be happening_, she thought, _I was going to get raped_.

She started to cry, no one could help her. The male stopped, thinking they were enough sheltered by the woods for anyone to see anything. He pushed Caroline back against the trunk of a tree and let his free hand wander on her body as his mouth kissed her jawline. She couldn't let this happen without at least fighting. She kicked him with all that she had but he didn't let go of her.

"Don't fight, darling, I know you want it." he chuckled drunkenly. Caroline bit hard into his hand and her mouth was finally free from his hand.

"Let me go, you disgusting pig!" she spat at him and tried to kick him harder but he dodged her kicks easily.

"Oh, you're feisty!" he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I like it."

With both of his hands, he grabbed her shirt and tore it open, revealing her bra.

"I couldn't keep my eyes off you from the minute I saw you…" he continued and began pulling at her bra, until he ripped it too.

"No, stop it! Please!" she begged, trying to push him away from her but he just grabbed her arms and gripped them with such strength it would probably leave marks in the morning.

She was sobbing now as the man roamed his hand over her chest, his mouth attached to her neck. Caroline was thinking of giving up, when two hands appeared out of nowhere, ripping the male away from her. She sunk to the cold ground, trying to cover herself with her arms, her knees pulled up to her chest.

"Take your filthy hands off her!" a voice growled. Caroline looked up and saw a more than enraged Tyler Lockwood standing between her and her agressor.

"Ah, the knight in shiny armor comes to the rescue!" the man laughed, staggering. "Your damsel in distress was very naughty tonight…"

Tyler let out another menacing growl and charged the drunk male. He grabbed him by his collar and punched him in the face. His fist connected with his nose and a loud crack echoed in the night. Tyler had broken his nose but that didn't stop him as he punched him again. He raised his fist to punch him a third time when Caroline spoke, stopping his movement mid air.

"Tyler, stop! He's not worth it."

He looked at her over his shoulder to see her curled up on the ground, trembling as a few tears were still streamed down her face.

"Please." she begged.

Tyler glanced back at the dazed man he was still holding up by his shirt; he leaned in and said in a low, but menacing voice.

"You're lucky she stopped me, or else…" he trailed off and then released the man abruptly, who fell on the floor. "Now get out of my sight, scumbag."

Tyler kicked him in the stomach for good measure and the man quickly got up and huddled out of sight, without sparing them a glance. When Tyler couldn't see him anymore, he turned briskly and crouched down in front of Caroline.

"Are you alright?" he asked and then mentally slapped himself. Of course she wasn't alright, she got almost raped for God's sake! She didn't answer him but raised her head a little and shook it. That's when he saw her shirt and bra were torn. He saw even more red…if he ever crossed path with that idiot ever again… He then took his t-shirt off and handed it to her. She looked up at him warily but he had already turned his back to her, giving her some privacy to pull it on. She slipped it hastily over her head and was about to say that it was okay for him to look, that he was right in front of her. He helped her to her feet and before she could say anything, he was picking her up bridal style and following the path into the forest.

"W-where are we go-oing?" she hiccupped against his neck.

"My house." he gritted out. She didn't say anything else, grateful he didn't bring her back to Sam's, though a part of her was a little apprehending to go to his house. Alone. With him.

It took about five minutes to get there and Caroline's sobs had finally calmed down when they arrived. She was still in his arms, her head against his shoulder and her arms around his neck. She had no idea how that happened but he seemed to be always there when she needed him the most.

He opened the front door in a swift motion and shut it with his heel once they were inside. He stormed through the house to the living room, wher he gently set her down on the couch. He then wrapped a blanket around her, probably afraid she was going into shock and would be cold. He took a seat in front of her on the coffee table, his elbows on his knees and studied her. She wasn't looking at him, her eyes were averted, making it impossible for him to read her eyes. He got up and went to the kitchen, reappearing with a glass of water.

"Here, drink this." he said. She took it without a word and sipped it, still avoiding his eyes.

"Will you be alright?" he asked and she nodded, meeting his gaze for the first time. She was as white as a ghost and his anger was fueled anew.

She saw his gaze blaze from her anger and for a moment she thought she saw a flash of amber in his eyes. She gasped, almost dropping the glass.

"Your eyes… they…they-" she stuttered.

"It was probably from the light." he dismissed hastily what she said and got up. "I'll prepare you a room and some clothes." he continued and walked towards the staircase, not waiting for her reply. She couldn't help but stare at his nacked and retreating back. She could have sworn she saw his eyes change colors. She masaged her temple; it couldn't be possible, her mind was playing tricks on her. She sat back against the couch and waited for Tyler to return.

It wasn't long until he came back, this time a shirt thrown over his muscular frame, and made Caroline following him upstairs. She didn't even register the room she was in, all she could see was the bed. She was so tired and died to lay down on the bed, but she couldn't do that just yet. First, she had to shower away the man's scent and the feel of his hands on her, as well as the dirt from the woods. She forced her heavy eyelids to stay open and focused her attention on Tyler, who was talking to her.

"… and here you have a little bathroom. And I've brought some towels and something to wear… they might be a little too big for you but I guess it will do."

"Thank you." she croaked out and he nodded.

"I'll wait here while you take your shower." he said and cut her when she opened her mouth to protest, "I don't want to hear it. I won't take the risk of you fainting in the shower and bump your head."

She huffed, collected towels and clothes, and went to the bathroom. She almost had a heart attack when she saw the state of her face and hair. Her makeup was smeared, she had dirt and leaves in her hair. She did her best to pick the leaves out and brushed some of the dirt away. She then undressed and hopped in the shower, quickly washing herself. She wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and then brushed her teeth with the toothbrush that has been set out for her. She was surprised that the bathroom was so well stocked. She eyed the clothes Tyler gave her and they were no doubts his. She slipped in them and had to tighten the shorts he gave to her to the maximum but they still hung low on her hips. The shirt was too big as well but she didn't complain, it was better than her ripped clothes. She took a deep breath and exited the bathroom.

Just as he told her he would be, he was still waiting in the bedroom. As she emerged from the bathroom, he let his eyes sweep over her frame. She squirmed under his gaze, uncomfortable.

"Um… thank you for letting me stay here." she said and her words broke him out of his trance.

"Yeah… sure, no problem." he replied.

He glanced back at her, his eyes burning, and in a blink of the eye he was standing in front of her. He cupped her head with both his hands and crashed his lips to hers. His kiss was scorching her to her very soul, combusting her. She kissed him back just as passionately and fisted his shirt, trying to bring him closer to her. But suddenly, realizing what she was doing, she pushed him away, breaking the kiss and stepped back.

"You can't… you can't do that." she panted as she held up her hands in fronts of her mouth.

"I… I-" he started.

"I'd like to be alone if you don't mind." she said, clearly dismissing him. "Goodnight."

Taking the hint, he left her alone without any other word and she closed the door behind him. She leaned against it and let her head fall backwards. _It was going to be a long night_, she thought.

* * *

It was 2:19 AM and she still couldn't sleep… She had been very tired moments before but the moment she hit the mattress, sleep eluded her. And a million thoughts invaded her mind. She was still shaking about almost being raped and it made her shudder the more she thought about it. But also, she could still feel _his_ lips against her own and it didn't help that his clothes were smelling just like him either. She should be angry at him for having kissed her so soon after what happened with the drunken creep in the woods… But she just couldn't be mad at him. In fact, it had felt rather good… What was wrong with her?

After tonight's events, another thing was clear to her: she was alone. Completely and utterly alone. She had no one to count on, to rely on when she needed help. She had blocked out too many people from her life. She didn't let herself care about anyone and didn't let anyone care about her. But that had changed and she had realized it tonight. Since she came to this town, it had been the first time in a long time she felt at home and most importantly, she felt cared about.

Without realizing what she was doing, she got up and before she knew it she was stepping out of her room and was tiptoeing down the hall. It was easy to find his room, as the door was ajar. She could see his muscular back from where she was standing. Caroline pushed the door open and entered his room. She moved forward slowly and found herself at the end of his bed. His face was lit by the moonlight. He had such handsome features, she wanted to reach out and trace them. As her gaze wandered over his muscular chest and arms, she remembered how it had felt like when he had carried her. She had felt safe and protected. He suddenly shot up, startling her. His body was tense, as his eyes squinted to recognize the intruder.

"Caroline?" his sleepy voice whispered. "What are you doing? Are you alright?" he then asked, worry lacing his words.

"I can't sleep." she simply replied. "Can I sleep here?" She surprised herself with her words. She was clearly out of her mind tonight.

"Yeah, of course. Climb in." he said and pulled back the covers.

She slipped beneath the sheets and before she could say or do anything, he pulled her to him and she curled into his warm side. His right hand came up and lightly stroked her hair, the motion making her sleepy.

"I'm really sorry for… for earlier. I shouldn't have done it." he whispered.

"It's okay, I forgive you." she said sleepily.

It wasn't long before her breathing evened out. He continued to brush his fingers through her hair for a while and she sighed in her sleep in contentment.

He had been avoiding her, he had tried to stay away from her but it was getting harder and harder each day, especially after what happened tonight. He couldn't bear not having her in his life. But on the other hand, he couldn't afford having into his life either. His lifestyle would be too dangerous for her – and for him too; he didn't dare think about the consequences if she ever came to learn his secret. He cursed internally. He didn't know what to do. He glanced down at her and cupped her cheek tenderly, running his thumb on her cheekbone.

"I can't lose you." he whispered.

He retracted his hand when she felt her starting to stir. He took a deep breath and settled deeper in the covers. He was sure sleep wasn't around the corner.

* * *

_A few miles from Mystic Falls…_

They had almost reached their destination… It was almost time.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry I didn't have this up earlier, my internet connection wouldn't work properly last week… Thank you to everyone who reviewed! :D

Please Review! :)

And if anyone is interested, I have a tumblr! _dancing-hippo(.)tumblr(.)com_


	7. The Story

A Dark Secret

Chapter Seven: The Story

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything…nope

* * *

Caroline woke up from the harsh sunlight that was streaming in the room. She shut her eyes again and snuggled deeper in the covers. It took her a moment to remember where she was but when she finally did, her heart stopped beating for a second. Last night she had come to _his_ room and asked him if she could stay with him. In _his _bed. She jolted up, half-pulling the covers back. Her eyes roamed next to her on the bed. She was alone. She didn't know if she felt disappointed or relieved that he wasn't here. Probably both at the same time. She let herself fall back down on the bed and bounced when her back hit the soft mattress. She exhaled loudly.

She didn't know what to do anymore, he was confusing the hell out of her. And when he had kissed her the night before, the confusing got multiplied tenfold. A blush crept on her cheeks when she remembered the way he had kissed her and how she had wanted to kiss him back. But she wasn't sure if she could let herself well…be herself with him. He was still so mysterious and she didn't trust people easily. But was it so wrong, wanting to trust him? Especially after what happened last night? He had after all intervened and saved her from a very bad situation. She briefly wondered if he cared about her as much as everyone pretended? She had a hard time to accept the fact that people cared about her but it felt surprisingly…good. She sighed; what was she going to do? She had been wrong the night before; he was already halfway to her heart and she didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a noise outside. She quickly hopped out of bed and walked quietly to the door, opening it. She peered in the hallway but of course, there was no one there. She stepped out of the room and quietly hurtled towards the stairs. She couldn't hear any noise coming from downstairs either… where the hell had Tyler disappeared? She now felt worried that he was nowhere in sight. What if it was a burglar or worse, the creep from the night before? The idea of a burglar breaking in in the middle of the day didn't seem so outlandish since most of the houses were empty. She shuddered at the thought.

Caroline was still standing on top of the stairs, not knowing what to do when she heard a loud knock on the kitchen backdoor. She jumped at the unexpected noise. A burglar wouldn't knock right? She heard another loud knock and this time, a voice calling her.

"Caroline! It's Bonnie!"

Caroline released the breath she was holding and quickly hurtled down the stairs to the kitchen. She walked to the door and unlocked it after fiddling with the key for a minute and let Bonnie in.

"Hi." Bonnie said and walked inside, carrying a bag. "I've brought you your clothes. I hope you don't mind that I took your bags from your room… Are you alright?" she asked as her landed on the bruises that marked Caroline's arms.

Caroline followed her gaze and let out a quiet gasp. Just as she had feared, the bruises were indeed there and they were a rich purple color, which clashed with her pale skin color. She tried to hide her arms behind her back and remembered Bonnie asked her a question.

"Yes… I'm alright, I guess… as much as I can be." Caroline answered and looked at Bonnie questioningly.

"Tyler called." she explained.

"Oh." she hesitated. "And… What did he say?"

"Not much." she replied. "He just said you needed some clothes…and probably a girl to talk to. He wouldn't tell me what exactly happened…but I need to know… What exactly happened?" she then asked.

"I was too hot at the party last night and I decided to cool off outside… and a guy tried to force himself on me." Caroline said, the words were easier to speak than she thought. "But Tyler came in between before something could happen." she quickly added when she saw the look of horror on Bonnie's face.

"And Tyler brought you here." Bonnie said and Caroline nodded. "I'm so sor–"

"I'm fine now." Caroline interrupted her gently and took one of her hands in her own, squeezing it lightly.

"Yes. But if only Sam had paid more attention, none of this would have happened…" she shook her head, a saddened expression on her face.

"It's not his fault, don't be too hard on him."

"But he should have seen it…" Bonnie whispered to herself but Caroline didn't understand the hidden meaning her words implied.

Caroline smiled at her but all of a sudden, Bonnie's gaze had gone blank, her hand clutching Caroline's.

"Bonnie?" Caroline said as worry began to seep in. "You in there?" she asked again.

And just as fast as it happened, everything ended. Bonnie blinked a few times to recover her spirits and looked at Caroline.

"Um… I'm sorry. I zoned out for a second there." she excused herself with a tense smile.

"Yeah, you freaked me out a bit." Caroline replied awkwardly.

"I don't want to sound rash but… be careful with Tyler."

"You're not the first person to tell me that… why does everyone keep saying that anyway?" Caroline asked defiantly. She was slowly getting exasperated by the cryptic warnings.

"Let's say… sometimes he has a hard time controlling his emotions… his anger especially. And I don't want you to get hurt, that's all." Bonnie explained.

"But he didn't hurt me!" Caroline couldn't hold back her exasperated words.

"Yet. Look I don't want to start a fight with you, that's not my goal. I'm just making sure that you know what you're doing where Tyler is concerned. I'm just looking out for you. I know it's not been long since we met but I consider you a friend…" she trailed off and Caroline's throat tightened. Did she really mean that?

"You look skeptical, but I really do consider you my friend. I have a feeling that we'll get along very, very well once we know one another better." Bonnie said, a genuine smile on her face. "And about what I said earlier… Christ, that came out so bad, but just promise me you'll choose wisely when it comes to Tyler Lockwood."

"Ok. I will." Caroline conceded.

"I won't bring it up again, I swear." Bonnie promised.

And she held her word, they didn't talk about Tyler anymore though Caroline was dying to ask her if she knew where he was but she decided to let it go for now and instead, she went back upstairs to change into her own clothes. She quickly collected her stuff and left with Bonnie.

Caroline watched Bonnie hide the key under a flowerpot. This was actually the worst place to hide a key, Caroline thought. She stole a last glance at the house before she and Bonnie finally took off towards Sam's house.

They spent the rest of the day hanging out by the water's edge. They talked about this and that, and laughed… Bonnie had been right, they really got along well and Caroline thought that if she stayed here, she would have liked to spend some more time with her. She missed having a friend, whom she could tell everything she had on her heart and go out on shopping sprees. But it wasn't that easy. If only…

* * *

That's it. She couldn't take it anymore. After tossing and turning in bed for almost three hours now, she needed to get some fresh air. She grabbed her cardigan on her way out of her room and crept down the stairs quietly, trying to avoid the stairs that creaked. She walked towards the living room and slid a French door open. She then steeped outside in the chilly night. She stepped to the edge of the balustrade and leaned on it. The moon, almost full, was casting an eerie light on the lake and the forest. The night was silent, except the waves lapping lazily at the rocks and the hushed chirps of the crickets.

She couldn't help but let her gaze wander towards the direction of Tyler's house. She hadn't seen him since the night before and she briefly wondered where he was at. Had he already left? Or was he just staying out of sight? She closed her eyes and his musky scent wafted to her nose. She opened them and glanced down; she had worn his clothes again tonight. She had taken them with her that morning after she had changed. She should have felt creeped out by her gesture but she didn't. She couldn't explain why, but she had realized his scent had a calming effect on her. Though tonight, it didn't work as she had assumed. Or maybe it was just working when she was with him. She glanced at the darkened forest again.

Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself walking down to the path leading to his house. She remembered all too clearly the night before, when she had almost been raped, but oddly she didn't feel fearful as she walked deeper into the dark woods. She slowed down her steps when his house came into view.

"Caroline? What are you doing here?" a voice startled her. She looked at her left and saw Tyler standing there, a confused and worried expression on his face.

"I– uh, I couldn't sleep." she stuttered. "So I decided to take a walk."

"Alone. In the woods. In the middle of the night." he said sarcastically. "You must be more suicidal than I thought."

"Me? And what about you? What are you doing out at this late hour?" she challenged him, crossing her arms.

"You could say that I'm a 'night owl'." he answered, a half-smile toying on his lips. "I'm not the kind that goes to bed early, I prefer staying up at night."

"And why is that?" she asked him.

He didn't answer her question and walked towards the pontoon. She followed after him and when he stopped at the end of the pontoon, she slowed down and hesitantly took a few steps forward until she was standing by his side. She looked at his face but his gaze was fixated on the lake.

"Look at that. Isn't it spectacular? The hustle bustle of the day quieted down, all you can hear is the smooth/hushed murmurs of the lake, which glows under the moonlight and occasionally is being lit up by fireflies." he said quietly and she looked again at him, this time his eyes met hers.

"And it's so calm. Almost every soul is fast asleep." he continued. "Except yours."

"You forgot to include yours." she retorted.

"And mine." he smiled.

They fell silent.

"This is my favorite place to be." he broke the silence.

"I think it is mine too. I just wished someone from my family had mentioned this place to me before–"

"What? You've been here before? In Mystic Falls I mean?" he interrupted her, his brows knit together in confusion.

"Yes, I always spent several weeks in the summer in Mystic Falls with my grandparents when I was a kid." she explained. "How come I never saw you?" she asked him.

"My family and I spend the summer here, at the lake house. Well it was mostly my mother and myself, my father didn't really stay with us since he was always so 'busy' to spend some time with his own family." he said in a bitter voice. "But my friends were all here so I had still some fun. How come _I_ never saw _you_?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers.

"It's a long story." she said, shutting down and glancing away.

"And I'm a good listener." he countered. She looked at him and saw the determination his eyes. She knew he wouldn't let it go easily, so she figured she might tell him.

"To cut it short, um, it all started with my father. My grandparents didn't like him. They fought with my mother about it. It only got worse when she became pregnant and moved in with my father in Richmond. They tried to make amends at my birth but the tension never lifted; I was caught between their fight but I was still able to see my grandparents in the summer and call them occasionally. But as I was getting older, everything got slowly but surely downhill. The last time I set foot in Mystic Falls, I was 10 years old." she stopped and he didn't breathe a word, waiting for her to continue.

"I was so angry at my mother. I fought her with everything that I had; I hated her for not letting me see my grandparents again. But every Thursday, after my dance class, I always had to wait for someone to pick me up, so I crossed the street and called them from a payphone. I remember I saved every cents I could find so I could call them. And one day, my father left us, with the miserable excuse that he didn't what life was." she snorted.

"I was sixteen. And then, both my grandparents died. They were the collateral damage from a drunk driver. I couldn't even go to their funeral and I never forgave my mother for that." she said as a tear rolled down her cheek. He reached over and brushed it away with his thumb.

"As I grew older, the fights between her and me were almost daily. And when I was eighteen, I left. I went to New York. It was though, I was alone, I had no one I could rely on. Putting my faith in the wrong people was my first mistake; I lost most of the money I saved and with that, my trust in people. I had to work two jobs at the same time to pay the rent, school and have some food on the table. But I toughened up and only counted on me from that day on. And I succeeded. I graduated from NYU a year early and the New York Post hired me. The salary was not much but it still paid better than the two jobs together."

"And your mother never sought you out?" he asked, puzzled. "She could have easily found you."

"But she never did. Before I left, I said some horrible things – I heard what people are saying in town, and though what I said was never that bad, what I said to her was still harsh… I made it very clear I never wanted to do anything with her ever again." she looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears and regret. "I am such a bad daughter, a bad person… I should have done something, long ago, I should have fixed us. But now it's too late… I'm alone…" she trailed off as her tears were now streaming down her cheeks and her sobs filled the quiet night.

He encircled her with his arms and hugged her tightly as he whispered soothing words in her ear while rubbing her back. She was still sobbing when he pulled away and cupped her face, tilting her face upwards so that their eyes met.

"Listen to me. You are not a bad person… On the contrary, you are a very beautiful person, inside and out. You proved it just now: if you were a bad person, you would have never felt guilt or regret. And I'm sure your mom was hurting too. She wasn't a person who showed her emotions well but I'm sure that deep down in her heart, she missed you just as much as you missed her." he said quietly and his words touched her. "And you are_ not _alone. You…you have me… there are many people caring about you." He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Remember this."

He put his forehead against hers and she nodded. Her sobs had quieted down now. He pulled her against him again in a bear hug until her sobs completely died down.

"Thank you." her muffled voice said.

"You're welcome." he said, placing a gentle kiss on the side of her head, not breaking his fierce hug.

Caroline didn't know how long they stayed like this but neither of them moved. It didn't seem to bother him to hold her in his arms and Caroline just enjoyed the moment, comfort and ease seeping in her body. Something she hadn't felt in years. She breathed in his scent and let out a quiet sigh as her eyelids became heavier and heavier, exhaustion washing over her as the darkness swallowed her.

Tyler took a hold of her as she dozed off in his arms. He figured that she was emotionally spent after reliving her memories. And her tears as well. He hoisted her up in his arms and slowly walked back the way she came from. Soon, he was standing in front of Sam's house and managed to get Caroline back inside. He carried her to her room and gently set her on the bed. He tucked her in and this reminded him of the first night he'd met her and later, brought her to the B&B. He caressed her cheek and before he could stop himself, he laid a chaste kiss on her lips. He pulled back and after a last glance towards her, he left in the dark night.

* * *

A/N: Phew that was the hardest (and longest) chapter I have ever written, so I'm sorry if it came out a bit wrong or whatnot… and I know the end was a bit cheesy but hell's going to break loose next chapter (well a wee bit) so I figured I'll let them have a sweet moment… :D

And please, review! :D

And btw, who laughed their a*ss off at the season 2 bloopers? :P


	8. Dark Streets

A Dark Secret

Chapter Eight: Dark Streets

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything…

* * *

Two days had passed since Tyler and Caroline had kissed and cuddled together. Two days she had told him her heartfelt story. Two days she couldn't get him out of her head. And two days since she last saw him. She brought her hand up to her lips. She vaguely remembered receiving a sweet kiss from Tyler; at first she thought it had been a dream but now she was sure it had indeed happened for real, and not in her mind…she brushed her lips; she could still feel his lips on hers. A smile toyed with her lips but it soon disappeared. She didn't know what to do with her growing feelings for him. She felt an attraction towards him that she hadn't felt with anyone before, it kind of scared her. She felt also lost. Everything overwhelmed her. She sighed loudly.

She was currently in her room, lying on her back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She was still lost in her thoughts, when she heard a commotion and loud voices downstairs. She quickly got up and hurtled downstairs, only to find Mrs. Flowers trying to close the door to two persons. But it was to no avail, as the person on the other side was rather insistent. Caroline saw that it was a tall woman with auburn hair. There was a man behind her, who had a camera in his arms. Caroline frowned, what the heck was going on here? She turned her gaze back towards them when she heard the woman talk.

"Mrs. Flowers, a word please on the tragedy that happened today. Do you really think–" the woman started.

"I already told you, I won't make any comments!" Mrs. Flowers said in a curtly tone. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there are people that are trying to work here and you are disturbing my guests!" and with that, she shut the door to the woman's face, locked it and closed the blinds. She wore a scowling face but when she saw Caroline standing there, her features softened.

"Oh dear, you're here. I'm sorry about the disturbance those _rabid hyenas_ caused." she sputtered. Caroline was taken aback about the rage that was emanating from her. She was always so calm and collected.

"What is actually going on?"

"You didn't hear about it?" Caroline shook her head. The old woman didn't add anything else, motioning for Caroline to follow her. They walked towards the small kitchen, where Mrs. Flowers grabbed the remote of the little TV. She turned it on and Caroline saw it.

On the little screen were images of a huge colonial house with white columns that was surrounded by an impressive mass of cops in uniforms and their cars. There were also a lot of journalists gathered in front of the gate, which was carefully guarded by the impassive policemen. But what really got her attention was the bolded red cap on the bottom of the screen, where you could: "TRAGIC ACCIDENT OR COLD BLOODED MURDER?". The next shot provided a clear view of the yellow tape that was all too familiar to everyone who watched crime series on TV: "crime scene, do not cross". But this was not some kind of movie; this was real life. She shuddered.

Next appeared on screen the woman that was here earlier. Her name was Andie Starr. Caroline focused on what she was saying:

"… _was now confirmed by the sheriff only moments ago: it was not an accident but indeed a murder rare violence. The details of Carol Lockwood's death were not communicated yet but a suspect has already been more or less confirmed by many witnesses that were passing by fortunately earlier today at the supposed time of murder. _

"_According to one of them – that wishes to remain anonymous, the supposed murderer was spotted leaving the house in a hurry just before noon, his clothes covered in blood – probably the blood of our mayor. The man the witness saw was no one other that Carol Lockwood's own son."_

Caroline let out a loud gasp when the portrait of the supposed murderer appeared on the screen. Her blood ran cold in her veins and she stared, eyes wide, at the screen. She couldn't believe it. It couldn't be. She blinked several times, believing she was hallucinating but when she re-opened her eyes, the photo was still there. Tyler's picture.

She had to sit down, she felt sick. It was not possible, Tyler couldn't be a murderer. He just couldn't be. Mrs. Flowers turned off the TV and turned to Caroline, a worried expression on her face. She padded over to Caroline, who was gripping the back of a chair so tightly, her knuckles were white. Mrs. Flowers put a hand on her shoulder, which brought Caroline out of the haze she had slipped in.

"It's… it's crazy!" Caroline exclaimed more for herself.

"I know. And I also _know_ that it's not true. That hyena of reporter likes to gossip and likes to get everyone's attention by bringing them the 'best and juiciest scoops' as she calls them. I say, codswallop! It's not the first time she talks rubbish." the old lady said fiercely, her anger was still there. "And this time she went too far."

"How can you be so sure about that?" Caroline asked. "That it's not true?"

"Tyler only had his mother now, she was the only thing that tied him here, or he would have left a long time ago, trust me. But if there is one thing that I'm sure of… he truly loved his mother despite her flaws. He would never do such a monstrosity." she said strongly, her eyes glinting with conviction. Her features softened when she saw Caroline's pale face.

"Dear, I think you should sit or maybe lie down for a minute. You look like you are going to pass out any minute."

Mrs. Flowers ushered Caroline upstairs who didn't have time to protest and told her she would get her some tea and cookies.

Caroline didn't know how she really got to her room, her head was buzzing with questions. Once she was there she paced until she almost got dizzy. It was insane. This couldn't be happening. She had to lie down as a strong wave of dizziness washed over her. She wanted someone to barge in her room and shout "Ha, fooled you!" but it never came. This couldn't be true, part of her was sure of it. She wanted to believe that Tyler was innocent but the facts claimed him as the culprit. She snorted. The facts…based on whose sayings exactly? She questioned herself. She pressed her hands on her face and breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself down. A knock on the door startled her, but it was only Mrs. Flowers. Caroline sat up as the owner made her way to her.

"Here. You should drink this and eat some cookies. And then you should rest because you are still looking as pale as a ghost…" Mrs. Flowers said as she pushed the tea into Caroline's hand.

"Thanks." Caroline mumbled and set the mug on the bedside table. Mrs. Flowers smiled in return and left the room.

But before she closed the door on her way out, she turned back and added, "I know everything points him as the responsible, but I strongly believe that someone should be given the chance to prove his innocence before getting publicly slaughtered and charged as guilty. " she said, a sad frown on her wrinkled face.

As the door clicked shut, Caroline let herself fall on the bed again. She stared intently at the ceiling, her thoughts brewing in her head. She replayed Mrs. Flowers' sentence in her mind. "He should be given the chance to prove his innocence." Caroline wanted to, she really did. But he still hadn't showed up.

She thought about Sam and Bonnie's warnings. If she got involved with Tyler, it couldn't be undone. That he was different. He sure was. Caroline thought about the moments she spent with him. Him apologizing to her when she was being too harsh to him. Him saving her from that asshole. Him taking care of her. He always had been there when she needed him. Could he really be what everyone tagged him, a murderer? Her heart was telling her, '_no'_. But her head was fighting back, and hard, with a strong_ 'maybe, everyone can lose it'_.

She eyed the steaming tea that stood on her bedside table, reached for it and drank the rest of the hot liquid. It had somehow a calming effect on her and she lied back down again, her eyes becoming heavier. She slipped into the darkness.

* * *

It was already past nine in the evening when Caroline woke up. She quickly decided to pick up some food and eat it at the B&B because she didn't have the heart to eat at the Grill, which was crowded after everything that went down that day, and she didn't want to bother Mrs. Flowers either. On her way back, she tried to avoid the main streets that were full of journalists – or the hyenas as Mrs. Flowers liked to call them. Caroline thought that surname fitted them perfectly: they were on the verge of harassing people on the streets to get whatever informations they could on Tyler Lockwood. Tyler, who was still MIA, she might add… The media was having a field day about this story and were each claiming the more outlandish and trashiest versions you could imagine of what really happened.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice she was driving down the street of her mother's house – technically it was hers now but she still wasn't accustomed to this idea. She slowed down a little when the house came in view but she noticed there was something abnormal right off the bat: the curtains were all closed. She remembered they had been all half-open the last time she was here, even if it was a rather fuzzy memory. The hairs on the back of her neck began to prickle and a cold sweat erupted on her skin, making her shiver. She stopped her car a little further down the road and cut the engine. What was she supposed to do now? Call the cops? They already had their hands full with what happened at the Lockwoods earlier that day. She glanced back at the house in the review mirror and quickly made her decision. A very reckless one, she might add. She knew she shouldn't do this but she had the distinct feeling at the same time that she was going to be… fine…

She glanced around her; all the houses were deserted, there was no one in sight. She reached for her purse and searched for the key to the house. There was one slight problem…she couldn't find it. She couldn't find that freaking key. She searched the floor of the car frantically, under the seats, in the glove compartment…without results. The dreadful thought flashed in her mind: she'd lost the key the last time she was here and someone found it and pocketed it. How could she have been so stupid?

Without any second thoughts she unclasped her seat belt and got out of the car after hiding her purse under the seat. She tried to shut the door as quietly as possible but didn't lock it, just in case she had to make a quick escape. She made her way towards her house and decided to go inside though the back door. She remembered where her grandmother always hid the spare key and with any luck, it was still there after all those years. She used the shadows the trees were casting on the sidewalk to hide herself from view. She stopped at the edge of the property and ducked down, racing as fast and furtively as she could to the back of the house.

She stalked to the garden gnomes collection that once belonged to her grandmother and lifted the one that was carrying a watering can. She exhaled a breath of relief when she found that the key has never been moved after all those years and climbed up the small flight of stairs of the back porch. She saw that the door hadn't been forced open and that whoever broke in had indeed found her key. She tried to be as quiet as possible as she slid the key in the lock and turned it. Thankfully, it didn't make any noise and she opened slowly the door. She stepped carefully inside the dark house. She shut the door behind her and started to move silently forward.

She could barely see in the semi dark hall but nothing seemed out of place. But what made her uneasy was the lack of noise inside the house. She didn't hear anything at all; the house was even quieter than a cemetery. She shivered; wasn't there supposed to be some background noise or anything? She stilled. It didn't feel right. Her heart was beating furiously against her ribcage and short pants escaped her lips. She heard a faint brushing of clothes that came from the living room and she heard it again, this time closer to her. She started to panic when suddenly a hand clamped on her mouth, muffling her scream. She felt a warm body pressing itself against her back, an arm locking her into place, making it impossible for her to escape.

* * *

A/N: I apologize for not having this up earlier… I wanted to update before I went on vacation, but I didn't have the time and when I came back, I was kinda stuck with this chapter, writing it, rewriting it… I hope it still turned out ok! Thanks for all the kind reviews :D

And holy lord sweet baby jesus, that scene in the new promo was hawwwwt… :O


	9. Shelter

A Dark Secret

Chapter Nine: Shelter

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.

* * *

She had no chance to escape; the man was holding her in an iron grip. She tried to stomp on his feet and scratch his forearms with her nails but it was useless, he was just too strong. The man, seeing she had stopped fighting, lessened his grip on her waist but still kept his hand on her mouth and began backing her up against the nearest wall. She shut her eyes, afraid of what was going to come next. Was it the same man that had tried to rape her? Would he try it again? Or was it a burglar that was going to kill her? But the man did something she didn't expect: he turned her on the spot so that she was facing him and put his other hand on the right side of her face. She opened her eyes at the unexpected gesture and they went wide when she saw who it was. He put a finger against his lips, motioning for her to be quiet.

"You need to be quiet." he whispered. "I won't harm you."

She nodded against his palm and he slowly removed his hand, in case she changed her mind. And he was also too close for her liking. Her body quivered with fear. She was standing in front of a man that was accused of having murdered someone. He saw that she was afraid of him and took a few steps back, giving her some space. She watched him intently and he did the same. She noticed that his posture seemed somewhat hunched, as if he was in pain. She glanced back up and spoke at last.

"What–what are you doing here?" she stuttered. "How did you get inside?"

"The night I found you here and brought you to the Bed & Breakfast, I came back here to pick up my car and saw the key lying on the porch. I meant to give it back to you when I had an occasion." he explained, but it wasn't the key that was important to her.

"The _police_ is searching everywhere for you!" she said, emphasizing the word 'police'.

"Don't you think I don't already know that?" he retorted angrily but added in a softer way when he realized she had flinched at his harsh tone. "It's _not_ as it seems…please, I _need_ you to believe _me_." he said quietly, anchoring his eyes onto hers. "_Please_." he whispered again.

She stayed silent, her brain working at a dizzy speed. Should she listen to him? Should she let him explain? The most important question was, should she believe him when he said that it wasn't as it seems? Mrs. Flowers' words came to her mind, _'everyone should have a chance to prove their innocence.'. _Though the urge to flee and protect herself before she could get hurt was there as well, the urge to preserve herself; had been there since she left for New York. She couldn't help it.

And it took over. She didn't even make a half-step towards the door when his hand shot out and closed around her wrist. This time, she knew better than to struggle against his iron grip – he was just too strong – and froze. With her free arm, she slammed her elbow in his ribs and he let out a small yelp of pain. She was free of his grasp und lunged for the back door.

But she made the mistake to look back. She saw Tyler on his knees as he coughed violently, one arm hugging his torso and the other in front of his mouth. She was frozen to the spot when she noticed blood trickle down the corner of his mouth. She couldn't have broken his ribs when she elbowed him, right? And what if she did? What if a broken rib had punctured his lung? That would surely kill him! _Oh shit_, she thought, _what now? _She certainly didn't want to go to jail because she killed him.

"Are you…okay? You're bleeding." she asked.

He looked up, surprised she was still there and gazed into her eyes. The gentleness she found in them confused her even more than she already was. Shouldn't he be angry at her for trying to leave? Wouldn't it irk him to let her go, only for her to go screaming "the murderer is here, hiding in my freaking house!" in the streets?

"It's nothing. The only thing that matters is that I want you to let me explain. Please. Just let me explain." he said, coughing again.

"But you're bleeding, you should be checked up and–"

"No, I won't go to a hospital." he cut her off.

"Fine, bleed out. And die. Why do I care? You're a freaking suspect!"

She could see that her words hurt him; his eyes had now a sad gleam in them. "But I'm _not_. You have to believe me." he pleaded with her.

"How am I supposed to believe you? How can I be able to trust you when everything, _everyone_ depicts you as the murderer?" she replied.

"I know that this is confusing you immensely and I understand your doubts about me… but in all the times we've been together, did I hurt you once?" he asked her.

"No." was her answer. Silence followed, her eyes becoming distant as she pondered whether or not to let him explain. She finally focused back on him and said, "Ok, explain then." In an still hesitant and apprehensive way. The sadness in his eyes immediately vanished to leave its place to anger.

"It's a set up, that's what it is." he seethed. "I didn't do what _they_ wanted me to do and my mother payed the price of my stubbornness."

She frowned. Who was he talking about? "I don't understand. Who are '_they_'?"

"I can't tell you that." he gazed back at her. She was about to say something when he continued. "If you get involved, if I tell you everything, there's no going back. You could _die _because you would know the truth about…about me. And I couldn't bear it to have caused another death." he finished in a low voice.

They stared at each other for a few seconds. "I can't stay here, I need to leave." he finally said quietly.

"What?" she asked, frowning.

"The more I wait, the more my chances of escaping are getting thinner. And they are already thinner than thin." he said. "Besides I don't know, what their next move will be…"

"But won't they find you, wherever you are? Those who are after you?"

"I've managed to avoid them for years, I think I can do it for a little while longer." he sighed in defeat. "But today, they proved to me at what lengths they are willing to go to have what they want…" he trailed off and she waited for him to continue. "At first they always called at home and sweet talked me into joining them but every time I blew them off, they became more and more insistent. And today they lost their patience." he said sadly.

"Wait…'join them' as in, join a _sect _or something?" she frowned.

"Something like that." he shrugged, avoiding her question.

"They killed your mother because you didn't want to be a part of their group? That's… that's mental! Can't you go to the police and tell them what you told me now?" she asked.

"I already told you, I can't tell anyone. No one can get involved. Going to the police would only raise more questions that can't be answered. And anyway, they couldn't help me, they are no match against them." he replied, resigned.

"But you would always run. You would never stop running." she said.

"What else am I supposed to do? You saw how they made me look as if _I_ was the murderer! Everything was part of their plan… their game, their rules." They fell silent again.

"Was it _them_… who killed your mother?" she then asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes." Was all he said. She took the hint; he didn't want to talk about it and she understood him.

"But doesn't that mean they are already here? In town?" Caroline then asked.

"I don't think so…" he trailed off but continued when she raised her eyebrows. "They like to play games, and now they are waiting in the sidelines for my next move. But I won't play their stupid game, so I'll just leave."

"When?"

"Probably tonight." he answered absentmindedly. "You asked me why I was here… I didn't mean to intrude in your house but it was the only place that came to my mind where I would be safe and could rest until I leave… until _you_ came along." he joked, a smirk on his lips.

"Ass." she replied, which only made his smirk turn into a full grin. She knew he was trying to distract her so she let it go. For now.

So Mrs. Flowers had been right… even though she still had her doubts about everything, she started to see and believe that maybe he was innocent after all. But there were still so many questions left unanswered.

"Wait here. I'm going to pick up my car." she said, heading out.

He made no move to hold her back this time and she quickly went out the backdoor and jogged to her car. She drove it to her house, parking it into the driveway. She locked the car this time after retrieving her purse from under the seat and grabbed the food. Her mind was swirling with thoughts; the rational part of her brain was shouting at her this was a very bad idea to help him, that it would only cause her troubles. But the other part quickly shut up the voice, telling Caroline that Tyler needed her help.

She made her way to the back door and entered in the house, locking it behind her. Tyler wasn't in the hallway anymore; she searched for him and finally found him. He was seated on the sofa and stared into space, lost in his thoughts. He had lit up a single candle which was casting a dim glow over his face. She saw a dark stain on the front of his shirt. _Blood_.

She took a seat beside him and set the food on the coffee table, in front of them. She heard his stomach grumble; it must have been hours since he last ate something. She quickly went to the kitchen and grabbed glasses and a bottle of water she found in a cupboard.

"I'm sorry, that's all I have." she said as she put everything on the table with the food.

"It's okay." he replied, a thankful expression on his face.

She spent a few minutes watching him literally devour the food. She swept her eyes over his body, his shirt was soaked with dried blood, and he had some blood on his face and arms as well. He felt her gaze on him and he looked up. He could see millions of questions in her eyes but he knew he couldn't answer them. He put down his fork.

"I'm sorry I got you involved in all of this…" he apologized, a sigh escaping his mouth.

"I still have so many questions." she said.

"I know."

And she also knew that it was no use to press on the subject as he made it more than once clear that he wouldn't answer any questions. She was tempted to roll her eyes. She understood that he was trying to protect her. But her curious self wanted to know badly what was going on. Did he think she couldn't handle the truth? Tough on the other hand, she was glad that he didn't tell her a thing. If someone was asking her questions about him, she wouldn't know how to answer them.

She glanced back at him. He had now finished his share of the meal and was eyeing enviously the rest of the food.

"Go ahead. Take it." she pushed the food in his direction.

"But…what about you?"

"I'm fine." she dismissed his words with a wave of her hand.

He thanked her and greedily started to shovel down the food. She couldn't help but smile at his antics. She then excused herself and went to her old room. She thought it was a good idea to have him sleep in a bed rather than on a hard couch. But as she was standing in front of the door, she started to think that it wasn't such a good idea.

After all those years, the little drawing she made when she was little was still hanging there. It was supposed to represent her riding a pink unicorn under a shiny rainbow. She smiled sadly at the memory. She figured quickly the drawing before opening the door. She eyed the room: a lot of things had been removed but the furniture was still the same. She walked to the closet and found some clean sheets. She worked quickly and the room was ready in no time. She put out some clean towels too, in case he wanted to shower. Though she didn't know if there was any hot water.

She went back to the living room to find it empty. The food – or what was left of it – was gone too. Her heart began racing in her chest… he couldn't have already left, could he? She then heard noises coming from the kitchen and hurried there. She found him attempting to clean the bloodied shirt in the sink. He had already changed into another shirt.

"I thought you would like to rest a bit before you leave… I set up a bed for you." she said, nodding her head towards the bedroom.

"Thanks. But I–"

"Just say you'll use it. For my sake. Though I still think it's suicide to leave without having someone check out your ribs." she gave him a pointed look.

"They are fine." he said again.

"If you say so." She sighed. "I have to leave or Mrs. Flowers will be worried." There was an awkward pause. "So um… good luck, I guess."

He nodded and she headed to front door. His voice called her back just as she was about to step outside. "Caroline."

She stopped and looked back at him. He was now standing in the hallway, piercing her with his gaze.

"Be careful." were his only words.

"I will."

With those final words, Caroline closed the door and left, leaving Tyler standing in the hallway, staring after her.

* * *

A/N: OMG, IT'S AN UPDATE! :O I know…I'M A BAD, BAD AUTHOR! And I know my writing probably sucks after ages of not writing :/

I have such a massive writer's block even though I have written a lot of things for the next couple of chapters… I thought I could lean on the show to get inspiration but WTF! What are the writers doing!

I hope that I can get the next chapter up soon. And thank you for all the lovely reviews for the last chapter :)


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